As a private patient, where to give birth C&W Kensington Wing, Lindo Wing? Queen Charlotte Sir Clayton?

[Billy11]

Hi
I had my first baby abroad. Have no idea which hosptial to go for here in the UK. i live in Richmond so West London is quite easy to get to for me.

I am looking for a unit that has neo natal facilities just in case and 24 hours nursery care after the birth of the baby.

I am strictly looking for a consultant led birth

Please ladies all your advice on the above hospitals is welcome...I will be delivering in August

My insurance covered the lot but I was with a different company to you - there was actually no limit on mine. A couple of things to be aware of. Antheseist fees and deposits made need to be paid by you and then claimed back. If you have to transfer to NHS post or during birth as long as you are entitled to receive NHS care then this will be free. You insurance may only cover the first night stay in the event of a "natural" delivery. They may just cover the routine scans and not any additional ones (such as 3/4D etc) If you are concerned about whether something is covered or not I would call them.

So ...met Keith Duncan yesterday.
He was very professional but seemed really tired and overworked...very fidgety..
He answered all my questions but merely with a word or two ...didn't really ask me if I had any questions...was quite keen to rush me out...not because he was being rude or wanted to cut me off...but if i had no further issues i suppose he had stuff to get on with ...again just seemed really really tired!

He did address every issue I had, but I had to do all the talking and didn't really feel encouraged.
So I am sticking with him as he seemed to understand my pelvic situation well ...
I am hoping it was an off day for him as i have heard he is very charismatic and friendly ...he seemed a little cold to me though ...
I came out being convinced he knows what he is doing and is good at his job.
As long as I assertively ask what I need.
His midwives and nurses ...fab!
His PA....well very friendly but won't get anything done for you unless you chase her!

All in all your full healthcare is covered and you are taken care of.

The kensington wing...i have rung them almost every weekday for 3 weeks and they always say pay the deposit over the phone we are too busy to give you a tour today ...so not to happy about that ...I mentioned it to dr Duncan who then promised to arrange it for me ...which again was very professional...
So I would recommend him ...maybe not if you are they shy kind of person

Hi Sweetpea, as you know, a lot depends on your plan. But even then, I found that my insurance co told me - in writing - that they didn't cover certain things such as nursery for the baby and when I got the final bill, they had paid up. I had no maximum on my plan, but on the other hand, they carved out particular services and capped them eg anaesthetist £600, obstetrician fee for c-section £540. I ended up paying about £500 out of my own pocket for about £16 000 worth of care.

One thing that might be worth looking into is the basis on which you'll accumulate £12 000 worth of services. It's usually more expensive to self pay. Eg, my c-section and five day stay at the Portland would have cost me about £14 000. (That doesn't include any pre or post natal care from an obstetrician.) But the bill I got from the hospital showed that the insurance co had actually been charged £8K. It might also be worth checking whether there's additional coverage for childbirth complications. If you go in for a VB and come out having had a section, will the additional costs come under the £12 000 or will a separate claim be opened?

You're right that the baby likely won't be covered under your £12 000 as s/he is a separate patient once born, but check if s/he can be added to the policy on birth. In any case, if the baby is entitled to NHS care, that's what s/he would get - as far as I know there's no private NICU/SCBU at St Mary's. Ditto you - if you are in the NHS section for your care for any reason, then you'll be treated as an NHS patient.

Re Insurance..generally as long as you have medical grounds for your treatments they will cover it .also different consultants have different prices...Some consultants charge 350 for consultation and 300 for scan...some charge a lot less..so you could get around it that way

generally if you have an elective c section even within the price range they wont cover it unless you have medical ground

Also I have noticed some hospitals have higher charges for delivering

For my insurance if I am under NHS care and NHS staff then it is free and not chargeable...
Some hospitals like kingston allow a private birth in the NHS part of the hosptial with a private consulant..that would be chargeable as private..

I personally got my insurance to write a detailed cover plan to my hospital and consultant...and the consultant and hospital are giving me all the advice poss to keep within the range

Thank you so much okiecokie, ghislaine and Billy (and sorry Billy for hijacking your thread!)!

This is excellent food for thought and I will prepare a list of questions to put to my insurer.

Ghislaine - I've had the same experience in the past where the insurer told me it would only cover up to a certain amount for a certain procedure/consultation, but ended up paying the full amount... I guess it's luck of the draw as to who ends up processing the bill and how much attention they are paying at the time!

Re 'nursery for the baby' - does this get charged separately at most private maternity hospitals/wings? I had assumed that the nursery was a service that was just provided as part of the 'package'? I guess I have some things to check with the hospital as well!

The point about 'self-paying' is a great one. I guess the insurance companies negotiate good deals with hospitals and consultants, so I will definitely do some investigations and work out how I can make the most out of the £12k.

Thanks all!

No probs Sweetpea

Hi all,

Am confused between The Portland and the Stanlay Clayton Ward at Q C. My insurance covers me for up to £8000 for normal birth (unlimited if medical emergency). I was hoping to go for midwife led care at the Portland or QC - one of the reasons being, I really don't want a CS as far as possible. Which would you recommend?

Thanks in advance!

OMG
That's all